Tripartite Wars
by Preacher of Kepler
Summary: In the 22nd Century, Humanity has expanded into the Solar System. Concurrent, however, is the greatest political strife known to Man, which will determine Humanity's direction. Will Vladimir Koslov liberate the workers of Mars? Will the Jovian Colonies finally gain independence? Or will the united nations of Earth bring order to them all? *Set in the Interplanetary Wars (Hiatus)


**A/N:**

**Hello readers! Due to the nature of this story, I feel I have to put in the below introduction:**

**Before you start reading, I want to make it clear that this is not a regular Halo story. As evident by the time period of this chapter, the story will take place CENTURIES before the start of the Human-Covenant War. ****Therefore, there will be no Covenant, Spartans, Halo Rings, Flood, etc. ****This story will be centered around the _Interplanetary Wars_, which is an overlooked aspect of the Halo Universe.**** Therefore, if this is not the type of Halo story you're looking for, you may find yourself disappointed. However, if you are still interested in this, without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

**Date: May 12, 2030**

**Location:**

**_Michaels Residence  
_****Houston, Texas, United States of America - Earth, Sol System**

**POV: Raymond Michaels, NASA Astronaut**

As Ray sat on the couch, he listened to the news reporters on TV discussing on and on about the upcoming manned mission to Mars. Along with retired astronaut Scott Riley, they covered every detail of the prospects of the mission, as if this topic hasn't been covered enough... The conversation shifted to the astronauts of the mission themselves, where one reporter suddenly asked Scott about the dangers the astronauts would face.

_"Scott, what's your take on the safe return of the eight astronauts? Because even if their flight to Mars goes without flaws, there are potential problems they may run into on the ground, such as radiation and sand storms. In fact, if anything goes wrong, it may be likely that they may never return..."_

_"Oh come on, James, you're being overdramatic!"_

_"No, Lilith, he's right."_ replied Scott._ "These are certainly legitimate concerns. Now, the folks in NASA are not stupid and neither are the astronauts. I'm sure they have formulated protocols for every potential scenario and the men and women chosen for this mission were chosen precisely because they're able to handle strenuous situations like these. However, with that being said, anything can happen. We're all at the mercy of random chance..."_

That answer didn't ease Ray at all, as he happened to be one of the lucky astronauts chosen for this historic mission. But Scott was right. Over the past years, Ray and his fellow astronauts have been training day and night, studying every technology system and medical procedures, as well as simulating multiple emergency scenarios. Furthermore, the technology utilized in this mission was leagues ahead of anything used during the Apollo missions or the Shuttle era. Ray certainly felt happy and honored about all of this. He dreamed of going to Mars since he was a child and waited his entire life for this moment. But he also couldn't help but feel anxious as the launch date neared because like Scott said, anything could happen, both good and bad. Only time could tell how things would turn out.

Feeling the discussion headed nowhere, Ray turned off the TV before releasing a sigh. Suddenly, he felt two hands grasping his shoulders. Ray looked up to see his wife Isabell standing over him before leaning in and kissing his forehead.

"Why'd you turn off the TV, babe?" she asked.

Hearing her sweet voice always calmed Ray. Immediately, his anxious thoughts went away and he smiled.

"Nothing, it's just boring me..." he answered as he rubbed Isabell's hands.

"You're still worried, aren't you?"

Ray paused for a moment before replying. "Yeah..."

Isabell climbed over the couch before sitting down and wrapping her arms around him.

"Ray, it's going to be alright."

"How could you possibly know? Yes, the probabilities are low but-"

"Ray." interrupted Isabell. "Look at me."

As told, Ray faced her and looked into her eyes.

"Do you trust me?" she asked.

"Well of course! Why would I not?" Ray answered, incredulous.

"Good, because I trust you. But YOU also need to trust yourself. Because if you don't stop doubting, eventually those doubts will manifest into reality."

"The mission isn't even what matters, Isabell. I'm worried that you and our kids won't see me come home."

"And I trust that you will come home! Besides, if you're so certain that you'll die, then why did you sign up for this anyways? You always wanted this, Ray. Shouldn't you be happy?"

"Of course I'm happy! But I'm also worried, rightfully so! And for the record, I was technically chosen by NASA..."

"And they chose you for a reason, Ray. They chose you because they know you're the best at what you do and I'm sure one of them is staying alive. NASA's not sending you to a suicide mission, Ray. They're investing billions of dollars and effort into ensuring your safety and the whole country will be cheering for you. In fact, the whole _world_ will be cheering for you, Ray. So again, trust yourself. You can do this, babe."

Ray gave another sigh, digesting everything he just heard. Though he still wasn't wrong with his doubts, Isabell was also right. Maybe he was being too hard on himself... Besides, what good came from being in perpetual doubt?

"Nice pep talk, I knew I married the right woman." smiled Ray.

"Wow..." Isabell gave him a playful punch.

"Thanks though, I really needed that." Ray pecked her cheek.

"And you should be thankful that I married you despite being such a lousy kisser..."

"Oh really? Well how about this?!"

Ray suddenly grabbed Isabell before burying his face into hers.

"Mmm! Ra- Ray! Okay! Sto- Mmm! Mmmmm!"

"Now how do you like that?" Ray winked as he released her.

Isabell regained her breathing before rolling her eyes. "Okay, fine! You're not a lousy kisser..."

"Good, because I have more to show you in the bedroom." Ray grinned.

"Oh my, Ray..." Isabell smiled excitingly.

"I only have a couple days until I lift off. And it'll be a year until I come back. So until then, we might as well have as much fun as we can."

"Well then, handsome, what are we waiting fo-"

Their moment was then interrupted by two juvenile voices.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Ray and Isabell turned to see Jack and Holly running downstairs before sprinting towards them. They immediately let go of each other and sat up, nearly having a heart attack.

"Jack! Holly!" smiled Ray, opening up his arms.

The children jumped into their parents' arms, knocking the wind out of them.

"Oof! A little rough there, Jack..."

"Mommy, why are your cheeks so red?" asked Holly with an innocent voice.

"Oh um..." Isabell smiled nervously, making her cheeks even more red. "You see..."

"It means that mommy loves daddy very much, dear." answered Ray, winking at Isabell.

"Well, can I turn MY cheeks red for you, mommy?" grinned Holly.

"Um, you see, Holly... It... It only works on adults." explained Isabell, earning a laugh from Ray.

"Oh, okay!"

"Daddy, can we go for some ice cream?" asked Jack.

"Yay ice cream!" smiled Holly.

"Kids, you just had cake for desert!" retorted Isabell.

"Hey, come on! I'm dying for some too! Besides, it's been a while since we had one!" interjected Ray, earning a glare from his wife.

"So we can go?!" asked Jack excitingly.

"Of course we can!" nodded Ray before facing Isabell. "Right, honey?"

Isabell continued glaring at Ray before finally relenting. "Yes... We can go..."

"Yay!" the kids cheered and ran towards the front door.

"Come on, let's go babe." motioned Ray as he stood up. However, Isabell was still seated with her arms crossed. "What?"

"You are such a tease..." smiled Isabell before standing up as well.

"Hey, come on. I'll make worthwhile for you. Besides, like I said, I have more to show you at the bedroom tonight." Ray grabbed her hand before pecking her cheek.

"I look forward it, you stud." Isabell smiled before kissing him back.

* * *

**Date: June 7, 2030**

**Location:**

**_Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39  
_****Titusville, Florida, United States of America**

Confined in his space suit, Ray lied comfortably on his seat, staring idly at the controls. Unlike the original space shuttle, the _Space Shuttle II _was equipped with advanced technology of the 21st century. With touch controls and an integrated AI, the new shuttle was leagues ahead of its cold war predecessor. The smaller and simplified controls also made it less crowded within the cabin, allowing the occupants to stretch their limbs. Lastly, the new space shuttle was truly reusable as the boosters could land back on the ground after usage. Though the space program declined during the early 2000s, it was great to see NASA coming back to its glory.

"Hey guys, is it too late to go to the bathroom?" asked Chris, the only Canadian in the crew.

"You know you're wearing diapers... Just pee right now, man." suggested Amy, Ray's copilot.

"I really don't wanna feel my own piss..."

"Then you better hold it for five hours."

The crew of this mission, codenamed _Hermes_ _1_, was somewhat of an oddity. Unlike his previous mission, this crew wasn't just comprised of NASA astronauts. The eight-man crew had four from the US, one from Canada, one from Australia and two from the UK. This mission was not just an American one, but a joint mission by the respective nations. When the crew landed on Mars, each of flag of the respective nations would be planted on their site.

"Keep it down, you two... Listen up for any chatter." interrupted Jane, the commander of the crew as well as a close friend of Ray.

Ray had known Jane since his Navy days. Both were naval aviators and she was his former squadron leader. If anyone was best fit to lead this crew, it was her. Jane was the best leader Ray ever served under and he was glad to work by her side once more. After saving ass _twice _during a combat tour, Ray immediately decided she was going to be his children's godmother.

"How you holding up there, commander?" asked Ray.

"Chilling and standing by, Ray. How's the cockpit for you?" replied Jane.

"Better than anything the Soyuz has to offer..." Ray answered, earning a laugh from the crew.

"Blimey... I'm surprised those Ruskies are still using that junk..." commented Richard, one of the two Brits.

"Hey, it's a reliable rocket. It runs smoothly and hasn't had an accident for decades." interjected Percy, the Aussie.

"Doesn't change the fact that it's bloody old and outdated..."

"Old, but not obsolete." countered Percy. "No need to fix what isn't broken. Am I right, Ray?"

"Eh, leave 'em be. We're beating Ivan to Mars, that's all that matters." grinned Ray.

"Hoorah!" cheered Amy.

Suddenly, the radio sounded off.

_"Hermes 1, how're you holding up?"_

Jane reached for the radio before responding. "Houston, we're still holding tight. What's the status on countdown?"

_"It should be at any moment now. Godspeed, Hermes." _replied the radio before sounding off.

"_Any moment now... _Give me a break! Let's go already!" whined Chris.

**_"Tss- T-minus three minutes." _**announced the speaker, startling Chris.

"I think they heard you..." smiled Ray.

"Now that's more like it!" Chris gave a wide grin. "This is it, baby! First humans on Mars!"

"Let's hope the Ruskies don't shoot us down while we launch..." murmured Richard.

"What's with you and the bloody Ruskies?" Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Just look at the news! With all the damn power play they're seeking, I'd be keeping an eye on them..."

"Oh come on, mate, now you're being silly..."

"Enough, both of you. We're about to launch."

"Yes, Commander!" Both replied in unison.

Meanwhile, Ray and Amy looked at each other and smiled in amusement.

_**"T-minus sixty seconds."**_

"This is it, people! Say your last prayers! If you do believe that is..." announced Chris.

Ray hasn't been too active with his faith as he grew older. However, he still believed in God and remembered his prayers from Sunday school back in his childhood. As clock began counting down, his heart began pounding faster.

"You okay, Ray?" asked Amy, giving him a concerned look.

"Yeah, I'm alright..." Ray gave her a nervous smile.

"I got your back, dude. Don't worry."

"Thanks, Amy." he nodded and stared into the cockpit.

At the thirty second mark, Ray took a deep breath before silently beginning his prayers.

_Lord, I am feeling uncertain about what I'm facing. Please guide me and help me to cope with what is unfolding, Please also grant me the peace that only you can give. _

_**"T-minus twenty seconds."**_

_Amid my worries, please come alongside me and sustain me. I know that I can put my trust in you. Please grant me reminders along the way, so that I do not become overtaken by the unknown. _

_**"T-minus ten seconds."**_

_In God's name I pray, Amen._

**_"Ignition sequence, start!"_**

This was it, the very moment this crew prepared their entire lives for. Ray could feel the slight shaking from the shuttle discharging gas from its boosters.

_**"Three! Two! One! Ignition!"**_

The entire hull began to tremble and the metal appendages from the launch platform began detaching from the hull. Soon, the boosters ignited in full power and Ray felt his body being pushed back to his seat.

**_"We have lift off!"_**

"The clock's finally ticking!" noted Percy, giving a thumbs up.

True to his word, the launch timer began ticking, signifying the shuttle was airborne.

"Mars, here we come!" grinned Chris.

* * *

***Launch View Complex**

**POV: Isabell Michaels**

As the shuttle lifted off, Jack and Holly began to jump and cheer.

"Mommy, look! It's daddy!" pointed Holly.

"He's on the rocket!" cheered Jack.

"That's right, dears. It's daddy..." Isabell smiled as she teared up.

As the crowd nervously watched, the shuttle's speed quickly accelerated and within a couple seconds, it became a tiny dot in the sky.

"Come on, baby..." she whispered.

Though it was Isabell who prevented Ray from snapping in anxiety, in truth, she was just as nervous the entire time about this historic day. But for his sake, she kept up her facade of confidence. But now that her husband finally departed, all she could do from now was to pray for him.

Soon, the shuttle completely faded and disappeared from the naked eye. Suddenly, the announcers spoke.

_"Ladies and Gentlemen, the shuttle has passed Max q!"_

The crowd cheered in excitement, knowing the astronauts passed through the most strenuous phase of the launch. Isabell sighed in relief and hugged her children tightly.

"Mommy, what does Max q mean?" asked Holly.

"It means daddy will be okay." Isabell smiled in joy.

* * *

**Location: Lower Earth Orbit**

**POV: Ray**

Hours passed since the launch and the Hermes crew drifted in lower earth orbit. Since the entire shuttle was virtually automated, the astronauts had nothing to do but wait and stay alert. While the remaining crew conversed among themselves, Ray and Amy had to tediously keep watch on the cockpit's screens. In order to kill time, Ray pulled up the feed from the shuttle's external cameras and observed the Earth. He felt joy from how beautiful the blue planet was, but also sadness since he was leaving it.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" commented Amy.

"Yeah, she is..." Ray concurred.

"I don't think people truly appreciate how lucky they are to live on Earth. It's one of the rare planets to sustain life. And here we are, giving up its comfort for a whole year..."

"Maybe... But we have the opportunity to create something great on Mars. It won't be in our lifetime, but eventually the red planet will become blue like Earth. And this journey is the first step."

"Since when did you become such an optimist?" smiled Amy.

"My wife." huffed Ray.

"Uh, what?" Amy raised an eyebrow.

The pilots were suddenly interrupted by a ping from the radar.

"Hey we got something!" Ray noted and leaned closer to the screen. The dot was designated as _Eureka_. "Alright, finally!"

"Heads up, commander! We're approaching the Eureka!" announced Amy.

"Excellent. Do you have a visual on it?" asked Jane.

Both Ray and Amy looked up to the cockpit window and spotted a faint white dot on the horizon. Ray then picked up the binoculars before zooming in the view. Low and behold, he saw the _Eureka _Interplanetary Spacecraft orbiting in the distance.

"Yup! Just barely though." answered Ray.

"ETA should be in about 40 minutes, commander." stated Amy.

"Noted! Alright crew, prepare for docking!" ordered Jane.

"Finally! It's about time!" vented Chris.

"You still holding it in, Chris? You still have your diapers, you know." teased Amy.

"Shut up! It's easier to hold it when you're not thinking about!" retorted Chris, earning laughs from the entire crew.

Despite the media hype of the shuttle's launch, the shuttle itself was not carrying the astronauts to Mars. The shuttle, though impressive, was not capable of a prolonged interplanetary flight and was merely a glorified ferry. Their actual ride was the _Eureka_, which was larger than the International Space Station and powered by a nuclear reactor. It was so large that it had to be assembled in space and was incapable of in-atmosphere flight. The Eureka also had a rotating gravity segment, which generated artificial gravity to ensure the Hermes crew didn't suffer illnesses from prolonged weightlessness.

Ray kept observing the spacecraft through his binoculars, awed by its ingenuity. It took years for the best engineers to build the actual spacecraft and months for astronauts to assemble it in orbit around Earth. He sincerely hoped that no mistakes were made during its construction because one faulty pin was enough to compromise its structure, thus jeopardizing everyone. But he also felt somewhat secure since the Eureka was currently operated by a maintenance crew, who ensured the spacecraft's safety until the Hermes crew's arrival. Upon the Hermes's arrival, the maintenance crew would board the shuttle and return to Earth. Regardless, Ray couldn't wait to board the Eureka. Only then would the journey to Mars begin.

Minutes passed by and the shuttle was now approximately a thousand meters from the _Eureka_, allowing the crew to view it more clearly. As the Hermes crew approached it ever closer, Ray and Amy disabled the autopilot and activated the shuttle's manual controls.

"Manual controls initiated." announced Ray.

"Keep calm, Ray. Take your time." cautioned Jane.

"No worries, commander. We got this." assured Ray.

Ray took a deep breath before grabbing the controls. This was it. There was no room for errors.

_Keep calm, Ray..._

* * *

***3 months later**

**Date: September 16, 2030**

**Location:**

**_Eureka Interplanetary Spacecraft  
_****30 Million Kilometers from Earth - Sol System**

"Coordinates still looking good?" asked Amy.

"Yup, still running smoothly." confirmed Ray.

"Okay, we should be good for now."

"Finally!" Ray sighed in relief and stood up from his seat.

"Hey, where are you going?" Amy raised an eye.

"It's my break, is it not?"

Amy scoffed before shaking her head. "Uh yeah, no. It's my turn to crash on the couch."

Ray did not relent. "According to schedule, it's my turn."

"Where does it say?!" Amy retorted as she began to pull up the schedule.

"Look, I need to call my family in a couple minutes. It's been weeks since I last saw their faces and this is the only time they have."

Amy facepalmed herself before sighing in exhaustion. "Uhhhh... Fine! But you owe me an extra hour tomorrow. Kapeesh?"

"Thanks, Amy." smiled Ray.

"Yeah, yeah... Get outta here, dude." Amy shrugged and went back to monitoring the controls.

After leaving the cockpit, Ray gently navigated the corridors, floating his way in the weightless environment. Despite being three months into the journey, he still wasn't used to the zero-g environment. There was no sense of up and down, only forward and sideways. In many ways, it felt like flying his F-35. Still, the lack of a sense of gravity messed with his head. Humans were never meant to live without gravity anyways. Fortunately, not every part of the ship was zero-g, as the rotational segment artificially provided the crucial gravity for the journey. Spending extended periods in zero-g exposed the astronauts to health hazards, such as the weakening of the bone marrow. Still, Ray had to admit that it was quite fun to drift aimlessly within the hulls. He knew his kids would love it here.

As Ray entered another corridor, he finally arrived at the rotational section. Before he could enter, Percy suddenly shot out of the entrance hatch like a cruise missile.

"Woohoo!" cheered Percy before glancing at Ray. "Oi, Ray! What ya up to, mate?"

"Hey, dude." Ray waved his hand. "I'm about to talk to my family."

"Ah, missing the wife and kids?" smiled Percy, to which Ray nodded. "Alright, man. Have fun catching up with them!"

"Thanks, mate!" smiled Ray and prepared to enter the hatch.

"Welcome!" Percy gave a thumbs up before pushing off a wall and drifting away. "Oh by the way, you're wife's hot!"

"Shut up, Percy!" retorted Ray, causing Percy to burst into laughter.

Entering the hatch, gravity slowly began to pull Ray down the tube until he grabbed the ladder and began climbing down. Even though he couldn't simply drift his way in this segment, gravity still felt good to him. After reaching the bottom, he began stretching his muscles around before slowly walking towards his quarters. Before he neared the door, however, he heard a faint ringing coming from the room.

"Shit!" cursed Ray and quickly opened the door.

As he barged in, Ray immediately reached for his monitor and tapped the _answer_ icon. A screen suddenly appeared, showing Isabell and the kids.

_"Daddy!" _cried Holly.

Ray quickly sat down on his chair before smiling. "Hey, guys!"

_"Hey, baby!" _smiled Isabell.

Ray felt butterflies in his stomach upon seeing her. He really missed her gleaming beautiful face...

"Hey, baby." he smiled back.

_"How's the journey, space cowboy?" _teased Isabell, earning laughs from the kids.

"It's pretty boring actually. I feel lonely without you guys..."

_"Awe... Did you hear that, guys? Daddy misses us!" _Isabell smiled.

_"We miss you too, daddy!" _added Jack.

"Thanks, Jack." smiled Ray. "So, how's things back on Earth? Is school going alright for you?"

_"School's boring, daddy..." _whined Jack.

_"Yeah! I have so much boring math homework! And my math teacher is ugly!" _complained Holly.

Ray couldn't help but snicker a Holly's last comment.

_"Holly! That's not a very nice thing to say!" _Isabell reprimanded their daughter.

_"But-"_

_"No buts! Don't you ever say such a thing again! Understand?"  
_

_"Yes, mom..."_

Ray shook in amusement and tried his best to hold his laughter until letting it all out.

_"That's not funny, hun..."_

"I know! I know! Haha..." Ray slowed down before taking a deep breath. "Listen to your mom, Holly. That goes for you too, Jack. I know school's boring but trust me, you'll thank all of your teachers later on. If you wanna become an astronaut like me, you have to do good in school. Okay?"

_"Okay, daddy!" _smiled the kids.

"Good! I'm counting on you!" smiled back Ray.

The family continued conversing for a couple minutes until Ray and Isabell decided to finally have their private time. Isabell knew the kids wouldn't like it, but it was bedtime for them.

_"Alright, guys, it's time for bed. Say goodnight to daddy!" announced Isabell._

_"Aw man..." _whined Jack.

_"No, mom! I wanna talk to daddy longer!" _pleaded Holly.

_"It's ten minutes past bedtime!"_ retorted Isabell. _"Come on, let's go! Chop Chop!"_

Ray then stepped in. "Come on kids, listen to your mother."

Finally, both relented. "_Okay, daddy..." _

_"Say goodnight to daddy, kids."_

_"Goodnight, daddy!" _waved Jack and Holly.

"Goodnight, kids! Daddy loves you!" Ray waved back before giving them an air kiss.

As the kids went off screen, Ray opened his mouth but Isabell immediately hushed him, raising her hand.

"What?" whispered Ray, confused.

After hearing two doors slam, Isabell lowered her hand before sighing in relief. _"Okay, you can speak now." _

"Trying to make our kids feel jealous, huh?"

_"Knowing you, babe, I wouldn't want them to listen to our one-on-one moments." _huffed Isabell.

"God, you have no idea how much I want to motorboat you right now..." smirked Ray.

_"Thanks for proving my point." _She rolled her eyes.

"I miss you, Isabell... So much..." Ray's smile lowered. "It just feels so empty here without you..."

_"Aw... Feeling sentimental now, huh?" _Isabell smiled before leaning into the screen. _"I miss you too, baby."_

"I'm already counting down the days until I come back. I believe it's still two-hundred and fifty-five days..."

_"Oh, come on..." _Isabell shook her head. _"You can't be counting down already..."_

"Well, it does make time go faster..." shrugged Ray.

_"So how's life in the stars then? Sounds like you're REALLY having the time of your life..."_

"Frankly, if I could just be in cryosleep and wake up six months later, that'd be great. It'd save us more food supply as well."

_"Yeah, and unfortunately, Man still can't travel faster than light... Wait, what about your health, Ray? Got any radiation poisoning yet?"_

"Uh, what?" Ray seemed confused.

_"I'm dead serious about this, Ray! Did you get any isotopes from the sun's radiation?! You're exposed out there without any O-zones!"_

Ray burst into laughter and leaned back, nearly collapsing from his chair.

_"Ray!"_

"No! No! I'm fine, don't worry!"

_"Are you sure?"_

"Yes, I'm a hundred percent sure!" Ray raised his hands in assurance. "In fact, Richard just conducted a physical for the entire crew a week ago. We're all _green_."

_"Who's Richard?" _Isabell raised an eyebrow.

"Dr. Richard Piers is our onboard physician. AKA our personal doctor. He's a good guy and knows his stuff, don't worry. Besides, our ship has magnetic shielding and it's doing its job perfectly."

_"Okay, but the moment something is wrong, you tell me immediately, okay?"_

"Okay! Okay! Jeez, you almost gave me a heart attack with your outburst..."

_"Me? You're the one thousands of mile from Earth right now!"_

"Alright, fine! You win!"

_"Hmph! I expect you to be thankful that I worry for you..."_

"That's funny, babe. Before my ass got launched into space, I was the one being excessively worried. I guess the roles have switched?" smiled Ray.

_"But the person everyone's being worried about is still you, baby face."_ retorted Isabell, earning another laugh from Ray.

"Alright, we're done talking about me. Let's switch to you. How're things back on Earth? Work going alright? Anything interesting happen?"

_"It... It's been pretty uneventful, honestly. Well... For us, at least..."_

Ray raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

_"Sarah... Got divorced..."_

"Wait, what?!"

_"Yeah, I didn't expect it either. She and Blake just seemed so perfect..."_

"Do you happen to know why?"

_"No, she doesn't seem to want to talk about it... They've actually been separated since July but I only just found out about it. But I think I may know why..."_

"I'm all ears, babe." Ray crossed his arms and leaned back.

_"It's nothing complicated, really...__ With Blake always being deployed with his bearded buddies, they just never spent enough time together, which drifted them apart. That's it, really... Neither of them were being unfaithful or anything like that. Or at least not that I know of... They just had incompatible lifestyles..."_

"Damn... So what happens from now on?"

_"Well things have already happened I guess... She seems to be doing fine and the kids will stay with her. I haven't seen Blake around though."_

"With all the shit going on around the world, no wonder he's never around. He committed to his duties after all..."

_"He also made a commitment to his family, Ray. To his children, especially. And now they're going to grow up with divorced parents. That's one of the worst things for child development..."_

"I know. And we're gonna make damn sure our children don't face anything like this."

Suddenly, Isabell became silent and began looking down with tears forming in her eyes.

"Isabell? What's wrong?"

Isabell opened her mouth couldn't say a word. She grabbed a tissue and wiped her tears off before facing the screen. _"I.. It's just..."_

"Isabell, it's okay. What is it?"

_"Nothing's wrong... It's just... When I heard about their divorce, I couldn't help but wonder about us... Whether we could make it work, especially with the career you have..."_

"Isabell! You know that's never gonna happen!"

_"Really? Just look what happened to Sarah and Blake! The two appeared to be the best soul mates but look what's happened now! Blake's always jumping out planes in God know's where while leaving Sarah isolated! I'm not saying Blake is completely at fault here! I don't know what exactly happened! Maybe Sarah really did cheat on him while he was deployed! I don't know! But the point is... I just can't help but draw a parallel between us and them... And now that these missions are going to be a regular thing for you... I just can't help but worry that-"_

"Isabell." interrupted Ray. "Do you trust me?"

_"Ray, I..."_

"Do you trust me, Isabell?" repeated Ray.

_"Yes, of course!"_ Isabell eyed him incredulously._ "Why wouldn't I?"_

"Almost four months ago before I got on this ship, you asked me the exact same question. And I do trust you. And I'm asking you for your full trust for what I'm about to say, Isabell. We are NOT going to end up like Sarah and Blake, I promise to you and God. I cannot speak for Blake but I am definitely not him! And you are not Sarah! Like you said, they made a commitment to each other and they failed to uphold that. But we are not going to fail!"

Suddenly, Ray took off his ring and held it in front of the screen, causing Isabell's eyes to widen slowly.

"When I took your hand in marriage, I made a promise that I would not only be the best father to our kids, but also be best husband to the person I loved the most. I made a promise that you and kids would come first no matter what. Everything else is secondary! My career means nothing without you! In fact, if I had to quit NASA to be with you, I'd do it in a heart beat!"

_"Ray, you don't have to do that!"_

"I'm serious, Isabell! I'll quit the Astronaut Corps if I have to! I'd rather be the best husband and father than the best astronaut!"

_"Ray, you're already on your way to Mars! After that you'll have plenty of other opportunities to journey the solar system! And you're just going to throw it all away?"_

"If it means being with you and the kids, then yes, absolutely."

_"No."_

"What?"

Isabell gave a sigh before looking back up. _"Look, I'm sorry. I was overreacting. Like I said, after watching what happened to Sarah, I just couldn't help it. I do trust you, Ray. And there hasn't been a time when I have not. I really mean it. But I don't want you to throw away everything you've built up just for you to prove how much you love the family. I know you do, Ray. Because you've already proven it. Again, I should've have overreacted and I'm sorry for that..."_

"No, it's alright. I get it. I've been away for three months now and I still have nine months left. I shouldn't be gone as long as I've been. But I promise you, no matter how long I'm gone, I will always love you and the kids and be there for you guys no matter what. Okay?"

_"Okay."_ smiled Isabell, tears still flowing down her face.

"Tell you what, babe. When I come back, the first thing we're gonna do is take a vacation to Hawaii with the kids. And while a former lieutenant of mine, who happens to owe me a favor by the way, will look after the kids, you and I are going to have a very special time together. Just the two of us, no one else."

_"For real, baby?" _Isabell's eyes twinkled.

"For real, baby." nodded Ray.

_"Actually, it won't be the first thing though... _

"Why not?" Ray raised an eyebrow.

_"Because YOU first have to recover and get used to Earth again, mister... Then we can go." _

"Of course, that too." shrugged Ray.

_"And let me tell YOU what."_ she smiled._ "When you come back home, I'll make your favorite Porchetta." _

"And Cheese Souffle?" added Ray.

_"Yes, and Cheese Souffle."_ nodded Isabell.

"My mouth is already watering, babe." Ray grinned like a child.

As brief silence ensued, Ray slid his ring back into his hand. He then kissed the palm of his hand before placing it on the screen.

"I love you, Isabell." smiled Ray.

_"I love you too, Ray."_ smiled back Isabell, kissing her hand as well and placing it on her screen. "You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now..."

"And you have no idea how much I STILL want to motorboat you right now." Ray gave a goofy grin before flicking around his tongue.

_"Ray!"_ Isabell rolled her eyes, causing Ray to burst into laughter. _"Ugh, you ruined it..."_

"Hey, come on! That's another reason I married you! Do you know how many women would kill you for those racks?"

_"Hmph, jackass..."_

Their moment was suddenly interrupted when the entire room shook violently, throwing Ray off his chair. The monitor screen briefly cut out before lighting back up with static.

"Woah, shit!" cried Ray before hitting the floor. "Damn..." he hissed in pain and rubbed his head.

The lights began to flicker and alarms sounded everywhere on the ship. Ray immediately stood back up and looked around before hearing Isabell's voice.

_"Ray?! Ray!" _she cried out with a muffled voice.

Ray turned his attention back to his computer monitor, which showed a worried Isabell.

_"Ray! What's going on?!"_

"I don't know! Hold on!"

An alert call suddenly popped up on the screen, which Ray did not hesitate to answer. He tapped the _answer_ icon and another screen popped up, which showed Percy floating in the maintenance room.

_"Oi, Ray! Get yer ass up here!" _shouted Percy in a desperate tone.

"Percy, what the hell is going on?!"

_"Something's going on in Section B of the Craft! Now get up here! NOW!" _cried Percy before hanging up.

"Shitting hell..." murmured Ray before shaking his head.

_"Ray! Are you okay?! Tell me what's going on!" _pleaded Isabell.

"I gotta go babe!"

_"Wait, Ray! No!"_

Before ending the call, Ray stared into Isabell's eyes, who appeared to be on the verge of panic.

"I love you, Isabell!"

_"Ray-!" _

Ray quickly the ended the call before springing out of his room and quickly climbed up the latter. Whatever the explosion was, Ray knew the next couple minutes were crucial in deciding the fate of the _Hermes _crew.

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N:**

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!**

**As I said in the introduction, this story will take place around the Interplanetary Wars and other related conflicts such as the Rainforest Wars and the Jovian Moon Conflicts. It will cover the events that led up to it, the actual conflicts themselves and the aftermath, as well as how it affected the development of the Halo universe in the 26th century. Therefore, this story will not necessarily be one big story with one main character. Rather, it will be a collection of different stories, which will show the conflicts from the perspectives of different characters, each who're fighting for different factions.**

**This is one of my most ambitious projects yet. I've always been interested in the Interplanetary Wars but once again, both Bungie and 343 have decided to ignore that part of the lore. Halo Mythos did cover it briefly so I have to give 343 some credit for that. However, I still find it extremely vague. For example, I want to know more about the characters involved such as Vladimir Koslov and the Frieden leaders. But all it really does is briefly mention their backgrounds and nothing more. Furthermore, when I first read about the Interplanetary Wars, I felt the conflict was generic and essentially a copy of World War 2, except in space (kind of like the Killzone series). For example, the Frieden are supposed to represent Nazi Germany while the Koslovics are the Soviet Union and the United Nations/National Governments being the Western Allies. (Yes, I'm aware that the Soviet Union were part of the allies but that was due to pragmatism. The moment World War 2 ended, the Soviets and the Western Allies already began preparing for another war against each other. Fortunately that never happened.) However, Bungie probably didn't give too much effort about this, nor did they care too much.**

**However, knowing 343, they, like Bungie, will always focus on the main series, since that's where the money's at. Therefore, I've accepted the fact that they're going to leave the minor aspects like the Interplanetary Wars in the dustbin. Therefore, I've decided to take it upon myself to not only build an actual narrative, but also an actual universe within the Interplanetary Wars. I'm going to humanize the characters like Vladimir Koslov and give them an actual story. There will be actual conflicts instead of the generic one in canon. Speaking of canon, some parts of the story will divert from canon, such as the name of the Koslovics, who will probably be named something else. At the same time, is it possible to divert from canon when there is little canon to begin with?**

**Lastly, as I said, this story will be unlike other Halo fanfictions for obvious reasons. And unlike the main Halo series, where the setting and characters are already set up, I have to create entire settings and characters out of scratch for this story. That will be tremendously difficult and thus, very time consuming. In fact, it may feel unlike Halo even more so than the other Halo fanfiction I'm writing: Spectres, which focuses on the Insurrection and the ORION Project (Spartan I). But I know the end result will be amazing.**

**Anyways, if you're interested in this, I hope you stick around for this journey and enjoy what I have to offer!**

**Please review! Thank you!**


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